Historic Quebec

Experience Old Town's Battlefields, Soak Up Its Culture, Partake Of The Cuisine

May 04, 1997|By Jan Shepherd, Boston Globe.

Quebec City is not a secret waiting to be discovered, but despite tourist-mecca status, it's an easy place to spend time soaking up history and ambience, particularly in the oldest part known as Vieux-Quebec (Old Town).

Before I went, I should have brushed up on North American history -- the French, British and Dutch colonists fought over who would control the New World, before and after our Revolution.

The historic Plains of Abraham battlefield here is the most visible example of where British and French troops clashed; the British victory meant control of the region and consolidation of Canada, a victory that sowed the seeds of today's French separatist movement. From this part of Canada, the British sent troops into Vermont and New Hampshire, trying to thwart the American colonies' war of independence. Later, Benedict Arnold (before he turned traitor) attempted an invasion of Quebec to claim the region for the United States.

Following the European tradition of walled towns, Vieux-Quebec is defined by its original fortifications and narrow, winding steep streets, the steepness the result of its location on a huge promontory overlooking the St. Lawrence River. If you drive into Old Quebec, the best advice is to park your car and then move around on foot.

The city's charm immediately takes over. Part of that charm is its scale -- no skyscrapers inside the walls -- and the Old World atmosphere. Because French is the official language here and in the rest of the province, you sometimes forget you're so close to home. Shopkeepers greet you in French, restaurants offer table d'hote (full dinners at a set price), the street chatter is lyrical. The sidewalk cafes and sidewalk artists add to the French-style ambience.

It's definitely a walking city. People are everywhere, crowding the terrace to get a view of the river, angling for tables at the cafes, crowding the alleyway of Rue de Tresor to see artists' paintings and etchings.

The old city is in two sections: the upper part and the lower. It's a steep walk from one section to the other, so pace yourself, particularly when climbing up the multilevels of steps. The funicular/cable car that traditionally operated between the lower city and the upper terrace has been closed since an accident last fall. (When we went to press, there was no set date on when a new cable car system would open.)

Quebec City--the provincial capital of Quebec--traces its roots to French explorer Jacques Cartier, who first visited the site in 1535, but it wasn't until 1608 that a permanent settlement was established by Samuel de Champlain in the lower section of the area known as Place Royale.

For much of its 20th Century life, it was a rundown, undesirable section despite historic landmarks such as the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, but during the last 20 years, the old stone buildings have been restored and converted into art galleries, cafes and antique shops. The Museum of Civilization is the most modern addition, designed in 1984 by famous Montreal architect Moshe Safdie who created a building that looks like a modern interpretation of its neighbors.

The expansive waterfront is home to cruise ships, sightseeing boats and a ferry to Levis, a community across the river. Hop on the latter to get an inexpensive and quick view of the city of stone.

The lower section's oldest historic building is Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, built in 1688. In the square outside the church sits a bust of France's King Louis XIV, a k a the Sun King, who reigned when France was colonizing in the New World. The Quebec province was part of New France, a colony stretching to the Gulf of Mexico, some of which it held onto even after losing its control in Canada. In 1803, France sold land to the United States via the Louisiana Purchase, and with that deal the U.S. government gained control of the Mississippi River Valley, including New Orleans, basically ending France's role in the New World.

Champlain, the founder of the original Quebec settlement, is represented in the upper city by a statue overlooking the river, a fitting view of what he started in 1608 and struggled to develop until his death in 1635 as he sought to expand French colonization. Britain and Holland were the other powers in the New World, but it was the French and British who finally faced off in a deciding battle here, on the Plains of Abraham lying just east of the walled city and part of the 250-acre National Battlefields Park.

It was here on Sept. 13, 1759, whereBritish troops defeated the French in a 20-minute battle in which both commanders -- Wolf for the British and Montcalm for the French -- were killed. With the defeat, the French were no longer a power in the New World, although our forefathers would later use French support to help 13 colonies win independence from Britain.